Switching sides
by Ohgress
Summary: Some missing scenes from 1.15 As good as it Getz. Part 1 of The Riggsmer series.


Afraid. My ass! He wasn't afraid. That was so not the issue here. And he wasn't hiding either, he was just carefully considering options and let's face it, making sure that Palmer doesn't get into any more trouble, because he is trouble.

Roger did have a point though. This was a new situation, and that's why he's sitting here in the morgue. New situations need analyzing. Like, why did it feel like he was breaking up with Miranda? Can you even break up with someone who's dead? Riggs didn't want to admit it to himself, but suddenly wanting to live felt like a betrayal to his wife. He'd been wanting to join her for over a year, and now he wasn't so sure anymore and that feeling was way too heavy to even let it get a little bit closer to burst out. That was why he was sitting here, dangling his legs and nervously tapping his finger. He wasn't hiding from speaking to a girl, he was hiding from cheating on his wife, and yes, maybe living.

Although, he should have said a proper goodbye to Palmer, shouldn't he? He may be crazy but the still had his manners. Fuck. Who knows when they will cross paths again? Nah, she's a big girl, she can handle it, bossy as she is, Riggs thought and smiled. Sometimes Palmer reminded him of Miranda, that boldness and bluntness. Karen wasn't exactly shy about her flirting. Miranda had never been either. He liked that with girls, made him feel less insecure. He was good at following orders.

They would see each other again, he had a strong feeling about it, and until then, he could analyze this new situation some more. Maybe talk to Cahill about it, or not. She would be so proud of him, all smug that she'd been right. Ugh, no. Not yet.

Riggs drew his fingers through his curls and hopped down from the slab table and carried his feet over to the elevator. Enough with the pondering. He needed to do something.

* * *

Awkward silence. Riggs was nervously rolling on his feet, Karen smirking slightly. Fuck it, she thought. She was done waiting for him.

"It's okay, you know."

"Huh?"

"To want to." Karen glanced at Riggs. He had no idea what she was talking about.

"What? Want to what?"

Riggs was adorable confused. Karen sighed and turned to him. Nothing was ever going to happen here if she didn't take the first step but at the same time she was afraid she might overstep his boundaries.

"It's totally okay to want to kiss me Riggs." Oops, she said it. She hadn't been like this with a guy for a really, really, long time, but something about this disheveled but charming detective was itching her. Murtaugh was right, they did have chemistry and maybe it was stupid to act on it, but since the last time they'd been on a case together, Riggs had changed, for the better. He wasn't desperately sad anymore and she knew all those emotional stages. She saw herself in him. He was over the first hurdle now.

Riggs smiled nervously, trying to make it look casual.

"You sure? People say I'm crazy."

Karen smiled. "I'm sure, and preferably before we hit reception floor." She cast an eye at the floor display which was ticking down fast. Riggs made a gesture with his hand, asking now.

"Yes now."

Riggs cleared his throat, folded his hand theatrically behind his back and slowly leaned over to her. It was probably meant to be quick peck but somehow, he got stuck once his lips met her and she didn't mind.

Ding. The elevator door opened and they jumped apart. Scorsese was looking at them. Weird. She couldn't recall pushing the basement floor button.

Scorsese stepped in, turned around and sniffed the air.

"I'm sensing something."

* * *

He had kissed another girl, sober, and it hadn't felt wrong at all. Not this girl. Riggs mind was spinning as he was driving home. Dammit, this was not how he had planned this day to end. He had planned to actually do some paper work but then Karen had showed up again and he had panicked. And then he had followed his dick into the elevator and then, yeah, that thing had happened. And then it had been really awkward with Scorsese catching them and then less awkward when he followed her out to her waiting car, but of course he hadn't known what to say when she'd been holding the car door, ready to hop in, but Karen had solved the situation by taking his hand in hers, saying "Don't be a stranger, Riggs" and then she kissed the corner of his mouth before getting into the car. He had stood like a complete fool watching the car drive away before his body jumped into gear again.

Like, he liked Karen, they made a good team, him and her, despite how annoying she could be, all secretive and by the book. She didn't look at him with pity in her eyes like most of the women he knew did, and he liked that too. Previous night with just them going through the paper trails had been fun and he had never EVER liked going through paper trail, but she had made it enjoyable. The food had helped and he couldn't resist from feeling a bit of pride that she'd been so thankful for it, once she woke up from her nap. It felt like he had done something good that didn't involve crime solving and it was a weird but not unenjoyable feeling. If he was true to himself, everything about Karen was enjoyable, not painful at all. So weird.

She could have died, several times during the last 24 hours and that thought made Riggs draw a deep breath. He couldn't go through that again, but then he was in the wrong business. He shook that thought away as he parked his car outside the trailer. She was still here, and maybe they would see each other again. Tiny flutters of butterflies in his stomach tried to make themselves heard, but Riggs tried ignore them. He wasn't ready for this. Yet.

Once inside the trailer he looked at the photo of Miranda, trying to picture her in his head, what she would think of him, but all he saw was her smiling at him with those warm and beautiful eyes. I'm sorry, he thought, but she shook her head at him and just continued smiling. Was this it then? Were they really parting ways now? Riggs flopped down on the couch absolutely exhausted, gave a long sigh, rubbed his eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

Riggs was silent and nervously tapping his foot across from her. Something was off. Maureen had learned about the case this morning when she had come back from her sick leave. Normally Riggs would be high on adrenaline after a stunt like yesterday's, babbling and prancing around like a peacock, but he looked lost in thought in a way she hadn't seen him for a couple of weeks.

"What are you thinking, Martin?" Like he would tell her but she had to start somewhere.

"Hm? Nothing."

"It is something though. I heard about what happened yesterday. Does it have to do with that case? Heard you pulled a classic Riggs again, but jumping onto a flying helicopter, really Martin? I thought we had talked about this." She tried to keep the tone light, she didn't want to show that in real life she was pretty pissed off. They had honestly gotten somewhere the past two weeks, Riggs seemed a lot less suicidal and he was trying now. She was really surprised that he had managed to stop drinking.

"Oh, it wasn't like that. Scout's honor, doc!," he joked and winked at her. "I had to, it was a life or death situation."

"Tell me."

"Well, Karen... I mean Agent Palmer was in the chopper and if it reached the Mexican border, it was bye bye DEA agent. The Florez cartel ain't joking around."

Maureen smirked. Riggs looked a little flustered at his hick-up. Martin Riggs didn't look flustered. Well, maybe that one time at the restaurant but that was it.

"So, Agent Palmer. You have worked with her before, haven't you?" Riggs nodded casually.

"Do you like working with her?" Riggs looked even more flustered.

"What sort of question is that? You know I play well with other, doc. It is strictly professional."

"So, nothing happened between you two?"

"NO." That had come out way faster and louder than Maureen expected it, but for now, she would let it slip. She had her answer. Martin Riggs had switched sides.


End file.
